1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bib, and more particularly, a bib for catching waste which is often foods and/or liquids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for bibs have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,462, Issued on May 8, 1951, to Savrin teaches a bib for an infant which includes an upper body and garment covering portion having a cut out section to accommodate the neck of the infant, a pocket formed on the front and upper part of the body portion with a quasi-V-shaped recess at the front and upper part of the pocket, an insert comprising a blank of absorbent material, one part of which is insertable into and held by the lower part of the pocket, over the cut out section and means at the rear of the body portion of the bib to hold another part of the insert against the rear of the bib, whereby the insert is interposed between the neck of the infant and the bib.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,111, Issued on Nov. 28, 1961, to Ralph teaches a bib of flexible sheet material having an upper breast sheet portion, a horizontally transverse elongated bib pocket at the lower portion of the breast sheet, the pocket having a front wall of flexible sheet material overlying a lower portion of one face of the breast sheet providing relatively overlying opposed flexible front and rear walls connected at the bottom of the pocket, the pocket having its opposite ends and a lower longitudinal edge securely closed and being open at its opposite upper longitudinal edge portion, the upper free edge of the front wall being freely flexible, and angularly bent strips of pliant inert material spaced from the opposite ends of the pocket and spaced relative to each other, each of the strips having legs which respectively engage the front and rear walls of the bib pocket laterally transversely of the length of the elongated pocket and extending from the bottom of the bib pocket towards the upper edge portion thereof and terminating adjacent to the upper open edge portion of the pocket, the pliant strips of bendable material being inherently form-retaining when bent, whereby the pocket opening may be selectively held at open and closed positions responsive to the selective bending of the strips, the breast sheet and pocket portions being freely flexible throughout the area thereof other than the area occupied by the pliant strips, whereby the freely flexible portion may be manipulated to selective shapes and forms around the pliant strips.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,311, Issued on Jul. 6, 1999, to Lampson et al. teaches a bib having an improved pocket opening. The pocket is formed by a pocket panel disposed adjacent a body panel. A pocket opening mechanism in combination with a predetermined hinge line sustain the pocket opening. The pocket opening mechanism can comprise an elastic member, and the predetermined hinge can be provided by a crease formed by folding. In one embodiment, the bib includes an apron panel for facilitating gravitational opening of the pocket. The apron can comprise a longitudinally extending crease. The creases in each panel can extend generally parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the bib.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,506, Issued on May 9, 2000, to Reinhart, Jr. teaches a bib having an improved pocket. The pocket is formed by a pocket panel disposed adjacent a body panel. A longitudinally extending crease is disposed in at least one of the pocket panel and the body panel. In one embodiment, the bib includes an apron panel for facilitating gravitational opening of the pocket. The apron can comprise a longitudinally extending crease. The creases in each panel can extend generally parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the bib.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,165, Issued on Aug. 22, 2000, to Johnson et al. teaches a collapsible, pop-out bib that includes a lower bowl section to catch food or beverage spills. The lower bowl section comprises a guide sewn into an upper edge, the guide is created by either a simple fold in the web material's fabric, or by attaching a fabric tape or bias tape to the upper edge of the lower bowl section and continues around the entire perimeter of the lower bowl section's upper edge. The bib also comprises an elongated flexible spring material that is inserted into the upper edge guide to continue around the entire perimeter of the lower bowl section's upper edge. The spring material comprises a male/female connector on opposing ends that enable the ends to be fastened together to form a large single-looped configuration, thereby creating tension on the periphery of the upper edge of the bowl, which holds the bowl out and open to catch spills. The bib is reversibly collapsible by twisting the spring material out of it's plane to form an odd numbered multi-looped configuration, resulting in a relatively small and convenient storage size.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,780, Issued on Oct. 10, 2000, to Reinhart, Jr. teaches a bib having an improved pocket. The bib has a body panel, a pocket panel, and a third panel disposed between the body panel and the pocket panel. The third panel helps to maintain the pocket in an open configuration.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,150 B1, Issued on May 29, 2001, to Lucas teaches a disposable bib for catching food and liquids while feeding an infant or toddler. The disposable bib includes a panel. The panel has a bottom edge, a top edge, and a pair of side edges. The panel has a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer. The top layer comprises a relatively porous material, the middle layer comprises a relatively absorbent material, and the bottom layer comprises a relatively non-porous material. The panel has an opening therein positioned generally adjacent to the top edge.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,751 B1, Issued on May 7, 2002, to Benjamin et al. teaches a bib having an improved pocket. The bib has a body panel, a pocket panel forming a pocket space between the body panel and the pocket panel, and a third panel joined to the pocket panel. The third panel includes a flexible member joined thereto that helps to maintain the pocket space in an open configuration once the third panel is folded into the pocket space.
A NINTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,140 B1, Issued on Dec. 31, 2002, to Benjamin et al. teaches a bib having an improved pocket. The bib has a body panel, a pocket panel forming a pocket space between the body panel and the pocket panel, and a third panel joined to the pocket panel. The third panel includes a flexible member joined thereto that helps to maintain the pocket space in an open configuration once the third panel is folded into the pocket space.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for bibs have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.